The present invention relates to an apparatus and process to increase the level of oxygen ingested by livestock.
The need for high quality water in livestock production is becoming increasingly essential. This is primarily due to the overall reduction in water quality and the trend towards larger and denser livestock populations. Water quality, whether it be ground or surface water, has been deteriorating over the last twenty years for reasons that range from livestock waste and agricultural chemical runoff to lowered groundwater tables. Occurrences of contamination from nitrates, bacteria, chemicals, iron, hydrogen sulfide, etc. have become more and more prevalent.
Higher livestock densities have tended to increase outbreaks of stress-related diseases, which, due to crowded conditions, are carried much more rapidly throughout a herd. It has become much more important to control the quality of the environment, the feed and also the water. The effects of poor quality water on livestock growth and mortality are only now being realized. Research at many different agricultural universities has found a direct correlation between poor quality water and poor livestock performance.
In most confinement livestock operations, the air quality at floor level is high in ammonia and nitrogen with a corresponding reduction in oxygen. This is due to the problems associated with concentrated animal waste on the floor and in the collection pits under the floor. These conditions tend to cause stress in the animals and can lead to reduced growth performance and higher mortality rates. Attempts at improving the air quality have resulted in better ventilation techniques; however this alone has not alleviated the problem.
Efforts to improve water quality for livestock have been many and varied. Current technology exists to solve virtually any specific water problem; however no one technology exists to solve a variety of problems with a single process. The high water volume demanded by most livestock operations can make the various water treatment processes prohibitively expensive due to the high capital expenditures required for the equipment and the ongoing costs of chemical additives that may be required to operate the equipment. Some of the common water contaminants that tend to cause health-related problems in livestock, as well as aesthetic problems in drinkers, water lines and misters are coliform bacteria, nitrates, sulfates, hydrogen sulfide, iron and manganese.
Aeration equipment has been used to inject and incorporate oxygen into water for a number of years. The primary purpose of the process has been to oxidize organic matter in wastewater and potable water applications. Wastewater aeration is primarily done under atmospheric conditions for the purpose of aerobic digestion. Potable water aeration is used in both atmospheric and pressurized applications. Generally, in atmospheric applications, air is bubble diffused within a tank to accomplish oxidation. It is then repressurized for distribution. A variety of ways are used to provide aeration under pressurized situations. Compressed air, or concentrated oxygen can be injected into a water stream or can be drawn into a water stream with the aid of a venturi. In addition, water can be passed through an air pocket within a tank to accomplish aeration.
Conventional systems are not designed to achieve high dissolved oxygen levels. Their purpose has been primarily to oxidize iron, manganese and hydrogen sulfide. Hyperoxygenation is not required, and in fact, a low oxygen concentration will achieve those results. Therefore, there is no process designed into the system to consistently provide dissolved oxygen levels high enough to ensure supersaturation after the oxidation process has been accomplished.
Hydrogen peroxide has been tested to effectively disinfect water with coliform bacteria at levels of 10 ppm and above. In addition, hydrogen peroxide enables an animal to better fight off invading organisms by migrating within the animal to the invaded area. It will also tend to break down into hydrogen and oxygen to further enhance the blood oxygen level of the animal.